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Laughing matters: A serious approach to comedy at UGA

University of Georgia student Steve Brennison recently overheard a customer at an electronics store ask: "If I load more songs onto my iPod, will it get heavier?"

True story? Whether it is or not, it makes for a good joke, and Brennison uses it in his stand-up comedy routine.

The freshman from Peachtree City and a handful of other aspiring comedians at UGA faced a couple of tough crowds this week for the chance to sink or swim in the local world of stand-up.

Student activity planners who launched the first "Local Laughs Live!" comedy showcase this week hope it will jump start a comedy scene on campus to match and feed into the burgeoning scene in Athens at large.

As a member of the University Union that organizes student activities on campus, Brennison wanted a venue - which on Tuesday was UGA's Tate Center - to kick start his stand-up career.

Brennison, who lost "best sense of humor" in his high school by only three votes, hasn't been able to get the stand-up comedy bug out of his head since he came to UGA.

"I'm a redhead to begin with ... and I've never met a redhead who is somewhat normal," he said. "Being witty, as opposed to being a smartass, kinda runs in the family."

Brennison's adviser told him that stand-up is like a drug - "once you do it once, you keep going back for more," he said. "I really want to do it again."

UGA magazine journalism student Valentina Tapia co-hosts a comedy talk show on UGA's student radio station and was impressed by first-timers at Tuesday's showcase.

"I was shaking like a leaf my first time (doing stand-up)," Tapia said before taking the stage at Little Kings on Thursday night as part of a variety show of comedy, music and videos.

Earlier this year, Tapia and her roommate started "Laugh Track," a 30-minute comedy talk show on WUOG-FM (90.5), where they bring other UGA comedians on the show and broadcast recordings of lesser-known comics.

Tapia has taken the stage at open mic events around town for a year, but more recently progressed to performing with other local comedians at Flicker and Little Kings - "townie" clubs on the west end of downtown Athens.

Tapia didn't always ham it up like Brennison, but once a friend introduced her to the underground comedy scene in Athens and New York City, Tapia got interested and started following it on her own, she said.

"At one point I thought, there's no reason I couldn't try it out myself," she said. "For me, right now I'm pretty casual in my approach to it."

Whether or not she keeps up with her stand-up, Tapia wants to be involved in the comedy scene in some way or another in the future, she said.

"I've made a lot of friends this way and we test out material on each other," she said.

Tapia also admits she likes the ounce of fame and the coolness she feels when she's recognized on the street.

"Especially when people can repeat your jokes back to you," she said, adding that her best material isn't fit to print.